Chronicles of a Sky Pirate: Spoken Memoirs
by Alphearia
Summary: "He had explored the world, had fallen in love, and had seen more things than men three times his age could ever dream of." The story of Samal, an ex-sky pirate.
1. Lowtown

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.

Author's Note: If you're wondering who Samal is, go to the mini courtyard in Lowtown's South Sprawl. He's the alleged sky pirate who's squatting and telling kids stories. One day, Samal decides to tell the kids his entire story as a sky pirate. It starts out in third person, and will move to Samal's point of view in the second chapter.

In the game, Samal serves as nothing but a regular NPC who's only sub-plot storyline appearance is a hunt that can help lead to acquiring Chaos, but one day an idea came to me. Samal is rumored to be an ex-sky pirate and I was always curious as to what his story was and how he ended up in Lowtown.

Hope you enjoyed the intro! The pirating begins in chapter two.

* * *

_Chapter I_

_Lowtown_

Stale, damp air circulated within the bustling underground city. Dirty brown-grey walls lined the passageways, and worn tiles decorated the floors. He had walked these dimly lit pathways many times before, and he feared he would walk them many times again. On his way to the courtyard, he always passed by the same groups of people. Most of these people lost every penny they had to the war, or to Archadia's immense taxation laws. Others lost their families to either the war or to the plague, and with nothing left, they sought comfort in the companionship of old friends.

The usual crowd of dirty kids crowded around him as he walked down the stairs into the courtyard. These children led hard lives, dressed in worn clothes, and worked tough jobs just to help their families survive through another night. Yet every time that he walked down those same steps every day, they would always greet him with a genuine smile on their faces, eager to hear another story.

Samal was a good man, and although young, had already lived a full life. He had explored the world, had fallen in love, and had seen more things than men three times his age could ever dream of. He was a tall man, dressed in only simple clothing, with his light brown hair cut short. His soft brown eyes showed the wisdom he accumulated over his travels. He knew the secret pain these children suffered, and tried to ease it, if only a little, by telling them stories of myths and legends he heard from the locals of the places he visited.

"What story are you gonna tell us today?" One of the kids asked him. Samal put a hand on his hip and a finger to his chin in thought. A smile flicked across his tanned face and he snapped when he thought of the perfect story.

"Well, today, I'm going to tell you about all my adventures as a sky pirate." He said while squatting down. All of the kids seemed excited to hear about his adventures. Samal was rumored to be a sky pirate, and little did they know, the rumors were true. The Rabanastre children were fascinated by sky pirates, and maybe that's what made Samal's tales more interesting to them. The children gathered around Samal and sat down in silence waiting for his tale to begin. He cleared his throat and began his story.

"It all started on a stormy night in Balfonheim…"


	2. Balfonheim

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.

Author's Note: And so the story begins!

* * *

_Chapter II_

_Balfonheim_

"I'm sorry, sir, but all flights, private or public, are cancelled because of the bad weather." The docent said. She had on a red bonnet-like hat with a matching airline service suit. She closed the airline book that she was flipping through with a sigh. She tried lightly smiling to show that she at least tried to help the best she could. I could tell she felt bad for me, having to be stuck in this town on such a bad night.

"Very well then…" I said with a sigh as I rested my head on the counter in disbelief. "Do you at least know when the storm is supposed to end?" I lifted up my head and looked at her hopefully. Maybe the storm will end tomorrow so I could fly my ship back home and get out of this place.

"They said it could last anywhere from one to three weeks." She responded. My eyes went wide with shock. "I'm truly very sorry, sir!" She exclaimed as she bowed.

"Oh it's not your fault…thanks for the help anyways…" I scratched my head as I walked away.

"There's an inn behind the tavern, sir! It has a very low rate, and delicious food provided by the tavern. You could stay there for the duration of your visit." She said quickly, leaning over the counter. I nodded my thanks and she smiled and went back to her book.

I looked around and saw the various different families all receiving the same news as me. Some from Bhujerba, Archadia, Rabanastre, all being told they would have to stay here for the next few days.

_Hmm…better catch a room while I can…"_ I walked to the large doorways and stared out at the torrential rain, pouring from the sky. Sighing to myself, I wrapped my coat as tightly as I could around myself and trudged out into the horrendous downpour. The gray cobblestones were slicked black with moisture. The once busy streets of Balfonheim were empty; all of the shops and homes were closed due to the weather. The winds knocked some of the barrels to the ground beside me, and I had to jump over them to not get hit.

After more barrel dodging, I finally reached the tavern. I opened its wooden doors and stepped inside, finally free of that wet Hell. I was instantly greeted with the smell of food and the sound of laughter. Barmaids, dressed in dark green, expertly maneuvered around the crowded seats without spilling a drop on their serving dishes. The men and women sitting at the round tables entertained one another by telling stories over hot meals and tall mugs. The room was bright and warm, which contrasted greatly to the dark and cold of outside.

I walked in through the crowds and sat down at an empty table in the back. A barmaid dropped off a beige paper menu on her way back to the kitchen. I opened the menu and began to sift through the options, finally settling on one of their soups with a side of bread. The barmaid who dropped off the menu came back to my table with a pen and paper in her hand.

"You ready to order?" She asked me. I nodded and she took the menu from my table and placed it in the green sash around her waist. "Alright, whaddya want?" She asked with a smile.

"A bowl of Stew and a side of bread, please." I said. She scribbled the order down on her paper.

"It'll be a moment." She replied as she walked off to place the order.

I slumped back in my wooden chair and tapped my fingers against the wood. The table beside erupted into laughter after someone told a joke. There were three men at the table. One was a green bangaa with a golden earring at the top of his right ear. He was wearing an all brown outfit. A gruff-looking blonde man sat opposite him. He had a chain of silver earrings in both ears, assorted rings on his fingers, and a worn dark blue button-up shirt with even darker blue pants. The third man looked shifty and wore all dark grey with no jewelry on his body. I tuned into their conversation.

"Did ya hear the rumor?" The blonde one said to the other two. They shook their heads and he leaned forward over the table. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "They say there's an ol' abandoned outpost in the desert at Rabanastre."

"Rabanastre?" The bangaa asked. The blonde one nodded.

"Aye, I heard there was ancient treasure that'd make that ol' Raithwall cry." He erupted into laughter. "Out in Estersand, they say. Near where the- -"

"Enjoy." The waitress said, interrupting my concentration on their conversation. I winced and smiled at her. When she left, I tried tuning back into their conversation, but they were already laughing about something else.

I turned my attention to my meal, and ate. The food was delicious enough, but I couldn't get my mind off of that treasure. It was an interesting idea, but I was no sky pirate. I doubt I could take on those guys if I went anyways. That is…if the rumor was true.

After eating, I left money under the plate and walked through the door into the inn. The layout was somewhat similar, but it was remarkably quiet in this part of the building. The waiting hall was better lit, and fewer people walked through the doors. I walked up to the counter and asked for a room. I was handed a small, brass key and was given directions to my room. Upstairs, the empty spaces between the doors was decorated with various pictures of scenery from the surrounding area. My room was by the end of the hall, and only one picture hung on the wall beside it. It was a picture of a tower on a far off island, guarded by a waterfall. The tower had what looked to be an earthly city surrounding it.

I was brought out of my trance when I heard footsteps walking down the hallway. I gave one last glance to the picture and walked inside the room. The room was nicely furnished with varying shades of reds and blues. I noticed what looked like more pictures from the island to be in the room, but I was too tired to look at them. I relaxed on the deep red canopy bed and closed my eyes, readying myself for a deep sleep. The only sound I could hear was the rain beating vainly against the window. My mind drifted back to the conversation I heard in the tavern. The possibility of treasure was exciting, and the danger involved made it even more so. What if it really did exist? Who else would go after it? How do I even begin to find it? The questions were endless.

_Well…I suppose it couldn't hurt to look…_


End file.
